in venezuela, long-time leader hugo chavez faces a surprisingly strong challenger. ray suarez has our story. >> suarez: it's being billed as a battle between david and goliath. known as "7-0"-- for the seventh of october, when venezuelans head to the polls-- the election marks a watershed moment for the world's second-largest oil- producing nation and a critical supplier of crude oil to the u.s., its number one customer. towering above the race is incumbent president hugo chavez. >> ( translated ): we will raze the competition on sunday the seventh. no one should have the smallest doubt. >> suarez: and with him, legions of red-shirted supporters known as "chavistas" from the united socialist party. >> ( translated ): starting on october 8th, we social organizations are going to join the president to make radical changes to this country. so we can impose the revolution, and finally have a socialist system firmly set in venezuela. >> suarez: through three u.s. administration's, the 58-year- old chavez has shown remarkable staying power, surviving a coup that briefly d